More than ever, relationships matter. Who you are and how you are different from everyone else is the basis for your brand. Properly branding yourself can mean the difference between developing authority and trust with your audience and them turning to someone else. Whatever your goal is in branding yourself, it’s vital that you represent yourself authentically or your followers will sniff out your fakery quickly.

Develop your brand strategy

Looking to boost your profile via your personal brand? You need to have a strategy that starts with figuring out who your target audience is. For instance, if your goal is to find a better job, you would want to seek out groups on LinkedIn or Facebook that are focused on the industry you are in or want to be in. Study the influencers in your industry to see how they do it. Follow these influencers and others in your community. Then start utilizing the various social media platforms to engage with your target audience and promote yourself (i.e. hashtags).

Don’t be afraid to explore and embrace new platforms or the latest trends—think Instagram Stories. Not only can this give you an edge in the eyes of your audience, but also you can then share your knowledge with them. Regular posting is essential, but your content should reflect your values and different areas of interest. Don’t lose sight of your goals, and don’t post something simply to post.

Be creative (but consistent!)

When it comes to crafting your personal brand, the level of creativity you use will depend on your field and goals. If you are in a creative field, then you have a lot more leeway. If your career is a bit more buttoned up, then you will need to reflect that in the content you share.

You want the visual representation of your brand to be consistent across all platforms and in keeping with who you are and what you represent. That doesn’t mean sharing the same thing on Facebook that you do on Twitter however. All your posts should have the same look and feel, but you don’t want to merely duplicate the content. Consistency is a big deal, because you want your followers to start to be able to identify you by your visual representation, just like we all do with the big brands in our lives, whether it’s McDonald’s Golden Arches or Nike’s Swoosh.

Creating a personal brand that boosts your visibility and that others trust won’t happen overnight. However, if you take the time and effort to promote yourself you—and your career—can reap the rewards in the long run. It’s simply a matter of being true to yourself, building a strategy based on your goals and following through with it all creatively. After all, as famed writer Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”